Friday, January 02, 2009

I'm almost done the crosses. One is completely done and standing in the Sanctuary, the one for NewSong, I ran out of nails so I will finish it tomorrow.

But a few more things that hit me today (literally).

The first one was while I was doing the first cross. I was working and had some worship songs on and then the old hymn "How Marvelous, How Wonderful" came on. Now, that hymn is always powerful with me, but when you're actually making a cross and it comes on, not to sound girly but I was trying my best not to cry. It was just crazy to think that this was the instrument used for my freedom.

Then Lorie and I put the nails in. If you want to know why the crosses are pre-nailed, come to church on Sunday, but yes, they both have small headed nails in them. Lorie left to go to the Sanctuary as I finished the nails myself (she said I was better at hammering) and I was going to move it. I realized I couldn't lift it because it was too tall to get through the door and still a little wet from the stain so I got the bright idea to use a dolly/cart. I put the cross on no problem. But then, the nice circular base started to twist, I had one hand on the cart, the other on the cross trying to make sure they didn't fall. There was only one thing I had to balance the cross, my head. Now for those of you keeping score, there are over a hundred tiny, small-headed nails in the front of the cross that were now pushing the weight of the cross into the side of my forehead. And it freaking hurt. I managed to stand it back up alright but I was thinking about how much that hurt then almost slapped myself again for being a woosie (see last post). I had the dull side of the nails, and not into my forehead like Jesus would have had. Again, realizing a little more what Jesus went through for me.

But then the clincher. This one's a little nicer. One cross done and in the Sanctuary, working on the second one and cleaning it up, making it look kinda pretty (which Arlene Reynolds said I shouldn't do, the real cross would have looked gnarly, and I agree but this is for the church so I wanted it to look somewhat decent). And I was doing it, songs like "Everything Glorious" and "Everlasting God" and "The Stand" came on and I realized hos God used the cross to make us pretty. How we are cleaned up and "made glorious" because of the cross.

Anyway, it's been a weird experience. What will be key is in seeing them used Sunday morning in church and Sunday night at our prayer night with the students. Maybe more on that later.